Consecrate yourself unto the Lord through extended prayer and fasting.

Posts tagged ‘daniel fast foods’

First, I want to make it clear that the purpose of fasting and of the Daniel Fast is not all about health. Remember, the definition of fasting is “to restrict food for a spiritual purpose.” So seeking a deeper relationship with God is the primary purpose of fasting.

With that said, there are some powerful benefits to Daniel Fast. One of those is that many people find their cholesterol lowers after they have been on the Daniel Fast for 21 or more consecutive days.

So why is the Daniel Fast so good at lowering cholesterol? The main reason is that the eating plan includes so much fiber (a.k.a. roughage). Fiber is a powerful part of food and sadly, most western diets contain very little of it these days. Fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and beans are all packed with fiber. And the great benefit of it is that it helps in the digestive process!

Now here is the little known fact of why that it so important to hour health and why eating adequate fiber lowers cholesterol. During digestion, our body created bile to help digest the food. However, undigested bile is what increases cholesterol. When we eat enough fiber, it kind of scrubs our intestines, absorbs the left-over bile, and then eliminates it from our body!

That’s a good thing! If the bile builds up it goes into the blood stream, turns into cholesterol and then the build-up starts.

The Daniel Fast is totally plant based with lost of whole grains, fruits, vegetables and beans. So when you eat these fiber rich foods for an extended period of time, your body starts the cleaning process with the help of the fiber scrub brushes and your cholesterol count goes down.

Very cool in my opinion! To make things even better, fiber also contributes to preventing cancer and also aids in slower sugar absorption which is good for those with diabetes. Plus, fiber makes us feel fuller and thus reduces the appetite.

So, if you have high cholesterol, then the Daniel Fast is a sure prescription for helping you toward better health!

This is just a quick note to let you know you can find more free recipes for the Daniel Fast at www.Daniel-Fast.com. Just click on “recipes” and you will see where you can access the free Daniel Fast recipes.

Also, you can receive the Daniel Fast Guidelines in brochure form by requesting it at that site. When you join the Daniel Fast mailing list, you will receive several sets of Daniel Fast recipes along with ideas and tips for your successful Daniel Fast.

I hope you are experiencing a meaningful Daniel Fast. This is a powerful way to connect with God in a more intimate way.

The Daniel Fast is a plant-based partial fast. It is based on the Prophet Daniel when he was under the rule of Babylonian kings for their personal service. Daniel recorded three occasions of fasting, though he likely fasted many more times since he was a man of God.

Daniel 10:2, 3 is where we find the model for the 21-day Daniel Fast. From this passage, a guidelines have developed over the years, primarily by Christians who use this as a form of fasting. The Daniel Fast has grown in popularity over the last 3 or 4 years as it’s been championed by Pastor Jentezen Franklin of Gainesville, GA.

No Pleasant Food: This would include breads, sugars and sweet foods.

No Meat: All animal products are restricted on the Daniel Fast. That includes meat, poultry, fish, and dairy products (milk, eggs, cheese, butter, etc.)

No Wine: This restriction, coupled with previous fasts where Daniel drank only water (which is typical for biblical fasting), is where today’s Daniel Fast finds its roots for water only. Fruit and vegetable juices are acceptable.

I am writing this post from snowy Washington State! Thankfully, I am near a roaring fire and have a lovely cup of hot Starbuck’s by my side! Oh, life is good.

This is one of my favorite times of year. Advent, Christmas, the New Year and the Daniel Fast are all squeezed into these months and they are full of life, creativity and anticipation!

I have been very busy completing a new Daniel Fast Cookbook and getting a new site built to help support you, me and others as we engage in this powerful New Year Fast. You can visit the site at www.Daniel-Fast.com but please keep in mind that it is not complete! I am much more of a writer than I am an Internet techie, so a lot of the details take me a lot of time. But God is good and He has put some wonderful and helpful people in my path to help me along the way.

Tonight will be one of my favorite nights of the year. For the fourth year in a row I will write my list entitled, “Wow! Look what I did in 2008!” Then I start looking back at all the many blessings and good memories of the year. I keep making the statement, “Wow! Look what I did in 2008,” until I have a list of 100 memories. Not all are mountaintop experiences. Some are sweet conversations with a friend or one of my children. Or sights I’ve enjoyed like seeing a doe and her fawn in my front yard. But other are big deals!

They all are listed. And the good thing about not quitting until I have 100 on my list is that I have to dig deep into the memory bank to list them. I get to relive these positive experiences, in a way. And this is a lovely way to capture special moments blessings.

This will be my fourth year and I now can look back and use lists from previous years to spark the memories that could so easily be lost in the shuffle of a busy life.

I can promise that high on my “Wow! Look what I did last year!” will be the great pleasure I have had in communicating with you and others through this simple little blog. Words cannot express how much you mean to me and the precious gift you are from the hand of my wonderful Abba Father.

I hope you end this year surrounded by good things and blessed memories. And that you look forward to the New Year with great joy and anticipation.

Another question I get is about natural sweeteners on the Daniel Fast, including honey and maple syrup.

The Daniel Fast is based on the fasting experiences of the prophet in Daniel 1 and in Daniel 10, along with typical Jewish fasting principles. In Daniel 10:3 we learn this: “I ate no pleasant or desirable food, nor did any meat or wine come into my mouth; and I did not anoint myself at all for the full three weeks.”

From this verse is the boundary on sweeteners. So no sweeteners are allowed on the Daniel Fast, including honey, sugar, agave nectar, cane juice or the like.

Pray about the fast and how the Lord would call you to restrict foods. His guidance should be your final decision.

The primary purpose of the Daniel Fast is not to lose weight or improve your physical health. Rather, the Daniel Fast is like all other fasts –refraining from food for a spiritual purpose. If you are entering the fast without a spiritual intent, then you are going on a “diet.” Nothing wrong with diets! But a diet is not a fast, even though the terms seem to be synonymous these days. Fasting is a spiritual exercise that involves the abstention of food. The Daniel Fast is a “partial fast” since one does not refrain from eating, but rather from eating specific foods, but still for a spiritual purpose.

With that said, the Daniel Fast is what I like to call “the whole body experience.” Why? Because while you will gain in your spirit and your soul from the Daniel Fast, you will surely improve your body’s health, as well. That’s because the foods on the Daniel Fast are easy on the body and allows is to function in an optimum manner.

You can review the Food List for the Daniel Fast and see foods to eat include only fruits, vegetables, and water. Foods to avoid completely are sugar, processed foods, dairy products, caffeine, and alcohol and of course, meat. These are all foods that hinder the body from optimum health.

While on the Daniel Fast, your body will experience a certain level of detoxification. It will purge itself of many of the impurities and toxins in its system. While the first few days you might feel a little sluggish, you will most likely experience an increase of energy in the second week.

As you plan your Daniel Fast menus, consider the health benefits of the foods you include.

Here are just some of the benefits from specific foods:

ArtichokesArtichokes contain plant compounds known as caffeoylquinic acids, which increase the flow of bile and help to digest fats.

BeansBeans are an excellent source of protein and actually one of the best foods to cleanse your colon and aid digestion.

BeetsBeets contain betaine, which promotes the regeneration of liver cells and the flow of bile. It also has a beneficial effect on fat metabolism.

BroccoliBroccoli and other members of the brassica family (cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, kohlrabi) support the liver’s detoxification enzymes.

Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
Food sources of vitamin C and glutathione, which are essential for detox.

Protein
Protein is required by the liver for detox. Beans, nuts, seeds, and quinoa. are just a few that you can add to your menus.

Onions and GarlicOnions and garlic are rich in sulfur-containing compounds. Involved in sulfation, the main detox pathway for environmental chemicals and certain drugs and food additives. Helps with the elimination of harmful heavy metals from the body.

The spices in this recipe give this chickpea and lentil soup its rich flavor even though it has no lamb as in the traditional dish. Harira is a great recipe for the Daniel Fast as it has nearly 15 grams of protein per serving.

2 Tbs canola oil

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped celery

2 cups warm water

Pinch of saffron threads

1/2 tsp salt, divided

1/4 tsp peeled fresh ginger, minced

1/4 tsp ground red pepper

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

2 garlic clove, minced

2 cups organic mushroom broth

1 1/2 cups chopped and seeded plum tomatoes

1/2 cup dried small red lentils

2 15 oz. cans no-salt-added chickpeas, drained

3 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro

3 Tbs chopped fresh parsley

Heat oil in a large saucepan on medium heat. Add onion and celery and saute 4 minutes or until tender

Okay, there are going to be times on the Daniel Fast when you need a quick meal. Here is one of my favorites! In fact, when you prepare for the Daniel Fast, you’ll want to stock up on a few of these items so you have the on hand.

About Susan Gregory and The Daniel Fast

The Daniel Fast is a method of fasting and based on the fasting experiences of the Old Testament prophet Daniel.

Susan Gregory started writing about the fast when she responded to a word from the Lord. Since that time she has become the leading source for information about the Daniel Fast and has a personal call to "serve God by serving His people." Her desire is to help men and women experience a successful fast as they grow in the love and knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Susan is the author of "The Daniel Fast: feed your soul, strengthen your spirit and renew your body" which is available from local and online bookseller or from http://Daniel-Fast.com